Steve Clevenger hits three-run homer off Sonny Gray as O's top Oakland

For the Orioles, one big swing and one solid starting pitching performance led to a franchise first.

The Orioles beat Oakland 4-2 tonight to complete their first ever home four-game sweep of the A's. The Orioles are now 61-56 overall and moved five games over .500 for the first time since July 2. They are 15-7 in their past 22 games and 36-20 at home for the season.

Down 1-0 in the last of the fourth, designated hitter Steve Clevenger put the big swing on a Sonny Gray 0-2 pitch. Clevenger blasted a three-run homer to right on a 91 mph fastball to provide a 3-1 lead.

The A's, who led the American League with 96 errors at gametime, made a big one to open the door for that Clevenger homer. With two outs and no one on, second baseman Eric Sogard's miscue allowed Chris Davis to reach, and then Jonathan Schoop singled to bring Clevenger to the plate. He did the rest against the American League's ERA leader. In seven games with the Orioles this season, Clevenger is now 10-for-24 (.417) with a homer and five RBIs.

After the A's took the lead 1-0 on Danny Valencia's opposite field homer to right in the second, they pulled within 3-2 on another longball. Mark Canha led off the sixth with a homer on an 0-2 pitch off Chris Tillman. It was his ninth homer.

The Orioles added an insurance run in the sixth. J.J. Hardy snapped a 2-for-32 stretch with a single to center. With two outs, he scored on a Caleb Joseph double to center for the 4-2 lead. Over his last 20 games, Joseph has six homers and 22 RBIs. Tonight, the Orioles improved to 38-5 in Joseph's career when he drives in at least one run.

Tillman, who gave up five runs in 2 1/3 innings in his last start at Seattle, gave the Orioles seven strong innings tonight. He gave up just three hits and the two runs, throwing 101 pitches. He improves to 9-7 with an ERA of 4.54. Over his last eight starts, Tillman is 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA.

Darren O'Day pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and lowered his ERA to 1.17. Zach Britton pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 29th save in 31 chances.

Three of the four runs against Gray were unearned due to that Sogard error. But this was just the fourth time this year in 24 starts he allowed four runs or more. He came in with an ERA of 0.72 his past three starts and a road ERA of 1.64 in 12 starts. He gave up seven hits over 5 2/3 to fall to 12-5 with an ERA of 2.04. In four career starts versus the Orioles, Gray is 0-2 with an ERA of 5.57.

Now 4-0 on a 10-game homestand, the Orioles welcome the New York Mets to Baltimore tomorrow night. Kevin Gausman (2-4, 4.48 ERA) faces right-hander Jacob deGrom (11-6, 2.03 ERA).